What's a good trigger pull?

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

What's a good trigger pull?

By Caleb | April 7, 2010 at 08:21 | Categories: shooting | URL: http://wp.me/pqZBS-1ut

One of the most common topics of discussion on gun websites, magazines, and TV shows is the weight of the trigger pull of gun X. Usually heard as "my CQB Tactical Destroyer has a 2.5 pound trigger pull!" or "I had to use a fish scale to measure the trigger pull of the Hi Point it was so heavy". Many pixels have died to bring us this information, and yet for whatever reason people seem to think a light trigger pull is almost a badge of honor. I recently met a guy that was talking about how he had his Glock trigger down to 2.5 pounds or some absurd number, which made me wonder "why?"

I tend to fall in the school of thought that thinks that a light trigger pull isn't necessarily a good thing for self defense, or even for competition. Here's the logical process behind that though - I started shooting serious competitions at the Academy for the collegiate pistol team. I used an earlier version of the Pardini SP pistol in .22,

which being a bullseye .22 had a trigger pull that was adjustable. I was essentially issued this gun by the team, and I never bothered with screwing around with adjusting the pull, I'd imagine based on current knowledge that it was probably around 2.5 pounds, which was plenty light.

I also competed in Free Pistol, or 50m Pistol as it's known elsewhere. Free pistol is a weird bullseye sport that uses guns that have evolved to the point where they don't really resemble firearms any more.

The Pardini pictured at left has a factory trigger pull of 50 grams - that's 0.11 pounds if you're wondering. For reference, a quarter weighs about 6 grams, so a stack of 9 quarters would be enough to make this gun go "bang".

Now, you'd think that because my real introduction to serious shooting was with high end competition guns with great triggers that I'd demand light trigger pull weights on all my guns - but it's precisely the opposite. Coming in to shooting from NRA Collegiate Pistol taught me that the most important thing in the world isn't the weight of your trigger, but how you manage the trigger. With a 0.1 pound trigger, any mashing or jerking is magnified significantly, and turns a 10 into an unacceptable 7.

Fast forward 10 years, and now the lightest trigger pull on any of my competition guns comes in around 9 pounds. Yes, I shoot revolvers exclusively, but even though the triggers are heavy doesn't mean they're bad. Personally, the most important factor in whether or not a trigger is good or bad isn't the weight, but rather how smooth it is. I'll take a 12 pound double action revolver trigger that's nice and smooth over a gritty, stacking 5 pound trigger any day of the week. Even Jerry Miculek is credited with saying that the best action job you can give a revolver is to dry fire it 3000 times; from personal experience I can tell you that doing that will make the bearing surfaces plenty smooth.

The point of all of this is to establish that you don't need a light trigger to shoot well - in fact a light trigger can actually hurt your ability to shoot well by masking flinch and jerk that would affect shots if fired from a "duty" trigger pull. If you're shooting IDPA or USPSA there isn't any reason to screw around with the pull weight on your gun unless you're running head to head with Dave Sevigny and need to shave 0.003 seconds off your splits. Shooting a gun with a light trigger isn't going to make you a better shot - but practicing your trigger pull with lots and lots of dry fire or a Crimson Trace laser will.

No comments:

The legendary guru of the combat 1911, Jeff Cooper, came up with the "Condition" system to define the state of readiness of the 1911-pattern pistol. The are:

Condition 0 - A round is in the chamber, hammer is cocked, and the safety is off.

Condition 1 - Also known as "cocked and locked," means a round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the manual thumb safety on the side of the frame is applied.

Condition 2 - A round is in the chamber and the hammer is down.

Condition 3 - The chamber is empty and hammer is down with a charged magazine in the gun.

Condition 4 - The chamber is empty, hammer is down and no magazine is in the gun.

The mode of readiness preferred by the experts is Condition One. Generally speaking, Condition One offers the best balance of readiness and safety. Its biggest drawback is that it looks scary to people who don't understand the operation and safety features of the pistol.

Condition Two is problematic for several reasons, and is the source of more negligent discharges than the other conditions. When you rack the slide to chamber a round in the 1911, the hammer is cocked and the manual safety is off. There is no way to avoid this with the 1911 design. In order to lower the hammer, the trigger must be pulled and the hammer lowered slowly with the thumb onto the firing pin, the end of which is only a few millimeters away from the primer of a live round. Should the thumb slip, the hammer would drop and fire the gun. Not only would a round be launched in circumstances which would be at best embarrassing and possibly tragic, but also the thumb would be behind the slide as it cycled, resulting in serious injury to the hand. A second problem with this condition is that the true 1911A1 does not have a firing pin block and an impact on the hammer which is resting on the firing pin could conceivably cause the gun to go off, although actual instances of this are virtually nonexistent. Finally, in order to fire the gun, the hammer must be manually cocked, again with the thumb. In an emergency situation, this adds another opportunity for something to go wrong and slows the acquisition of the sight picture.

Condition Three adds a degree of "insurance" against an accidental discharge since there is no round in the chamber. To bring the gun into action from the holster, the pistol must be drawn and the slide racked as the pistol is brought to bear on the target. This draw is usually called "the Israeli draw" since it was taught by Israeli security and defense forces. Some of the real expert trainers can do an Israeli draw faster than most of us can do a simple draw, but for most of us, the Israeli draw adds a degree of complexity, an extra step, and an opening for mistakes in the process of getting the front sight onto the target.

Using the "half-cock" as a safety

The half-cock notch on the M1911 is really intended as a "fail-safe" and is not recommended as a safety. However, it has been used as a mode of carry. From Dale Ireland comes this interesting piece of service history from WWII:

When the hammer is pulled back just a few millimeters it "half cocks" and pulling the trigger will not fire the gun [on genuine mil-spec G.I. pistols]. I imagine this is an unsafe and not a recommended safety position. The reason I bring it up however is that it was a commonly used position especially by left-handers in WWII. My father carried his 1911 (not A1) to Enewitok, Leyte, first wave at Luzon, the battle inside Intramuros, and until he was finally shot near Ipo dam. He tells me that he regularly used the half cocked safety position especially at night and patrolling because bringing the weapon to the full cocked position from the half cocked created much less noise and he was left handed so he couldn't use the thumb safety effectively. He said using the half cocked position was all about noise reduction for lefties while maintaining a small amount of safety that could quickly be released.

Again, the half-cock is intended as a fail-safe in the event that the sear hooks were to fail, and it is not recommended as a mode of carry. It should also be noted that on guns with "Series 80" type hammers, the hammer will fall from half-cock when the trigger is pulled. This would include guns from Springfield Armory and modern production Colts. But, if you happen to be a south paw and find yourself in the jungle with a G.I. M1911A1 and surrounded by enemy troops, the half-cock might be an option.

GUN SAFETY RULES

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

There are no exceptions. Do not pretend that this is true. Some people and organizations take this rule and weaken it;e.g. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." Unfortunately, the "as if" compromises the directness of the statement by implying that they are unloaded, but we will treat them as though they are loaded. No good! Safety rules must be worded forcefully so that they are never treated lightly or reduced to partial compliance.

All guns are always loaded - period!

This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

Conspicuously and continuously violated, especially with pistols, Rule II applies whether you are involved in range practice, daily carry, or examination. If the weapon is assembled and in someone's hands, it is capable of being discharged. A firearm holstered properly, lying on a table, or placed in a scabbard is of no danger to anyone. Only when handled is there a need for concern. This rule applies to fighting as well as to daily handling. If you are not willing to take a human life, do not cover a person with the muzzle. This rule also applies to your own person. Do not allow the muzzle to cover your extremities, e.g. using both hands to reholster the pistol. This practice is unsound, both procedurally and tactically. You may need a free hand for something important. Proper holster design should provide for one-handed holstering, so avoid holsters which collapse after withdrawing the pistol. (Note: It is dangerous to push the muzzle against the inside edge of the holster nearest the body to "open" it since this results in your pointing the pistol at your midsection.) Dry-practice in the home is a worthwhile habit and it will result in more deeply programmed reflexes. Most of the reflexes involved in the Modern Technique do not require that a shot be fired. Particular procedures for dry-firing in the home will be covered later. Let it suffice for now that you do not dry-fire using a "target" that you wish not to see destroyed. (Recall RULE I as well.)

Rule III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

Rule III is violated most anytime the uneducated person handles a firearm. Whether on TV, in the theaters, or at the range, people seem fascinated with having their finger on the trigger. Never stand or walk around with your finger on the trigger. It is unprofessional, dangerous, and, perhaps most damaging to the psyche, it is klutzy looking. Never fire a shot unless the sights are superimposed on the target and you have made a conscious decision to fire. Firing an unaligned pistol in a fight gains nothing. If you believe that the defensive pistol is only an intimidation tool - not something to be used - carry blanks, or better yet, reevaluate having one around. If you are going to launch a projectile, it had best be directed purposely. Danger abounds if you allow your finger to dawdle inside the trigger guard. As soon as the sights leave the target, the trigger-finger leaves the trigger and straightens alongside the frame. Since the hand normally prefers to work as a unit - as in grasping - separating the function of the trigger-finger from the rest of the hand takes effort. The five-finger grasp is a deeply programmed reflex. Under sufficient stress, and with the finger already placed on the trigger, an unexpected movement, misstep or surprise could result in a negligent discharge. Speed cannot be gained from such a premature placement of the trigger-finger. Bringing the sights to bear on the target, whether from the holster or the Guard Position, takes more time than that required for moving the trigger finger an inch or so to the trigger.

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing.

SUMMARY:

Make these rules a part of your character. Never compromise them. Improper gunhandling results from ignorance and improper role modeling, such as handling your gun like your favorite actor does. Education can cure this. You can make a difference by following these gunhandling rules and insisting that those around you do the same. Set the example. Who knows what tragedies you, or someone you influence, may prevent?

Excerpted from: The Modern Technique of the Pistol, by Greg Morrison, Gunsite Press, Paulden, Arizona, ISBN 0-9621342-3-6, Library of Congress Number 91-72644, $40

OLD EYES CAN SHOOT WELL TOO!!!

What You Can Do When the Front Sight is No Longer in Focus?

It happens to all of us sooner or later. The first sign is having to hold the newspaper a little farther away to focus on the text. Over time it develops into the need for reading glasses.

Well the good news with self defense shooting is if you can identify your target as an immediate threat of great bodily injury or death, you just need to get a good clear focus on the front sightand press the trigger without disrupting the sight alignment to insure a good hit.

Remember that when you do it right, the target is blurry and the front sight is in crystal clear focus!

But what happens when your eyes get so bad you can't get a good clear focus on the front sight?

Time for glasses!

But what kind of glasses?

What if you already have glasses for distance and driving plus glasses for reading? Do you need a third pair for shooting? It's hell getting old!

Here's the answer you're looking for...

There is a company called Hansen’s Eagle Eye Shooting Glasses that will grind a special pair of glasses for you that can give you everything you need. If you already wear bifocal glasses for distance and reading, they will grind a special area in the lens that is the "sweet spot" that brings your front sight into clear focus when you move your head to acquire the proper sight picture.

You can then wear these glasses as your everyday set and if you ever need to present your weapon from your concealment holster, your eyes will be able to clearly identify your attackerANDfocus on the front sight!

You can contact Richard Hansen, the owner of Eagle Eye Shooting Glasses athttp://www.hansenseagleeye.com.

Richard is a good man and these glasses are his specialty so let me know how it works out for you with your Eagle Eye Shooting Glasses!

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A SHORT VIDEO COURSE ON THE PROPER STANCE AND POSITION FOR PISTOL SHOOTING

Wednesday, April 7, 2010